Blow - out family holiday?

[AnSionnachGlic]

Have unexpectedly extra budget for our summer holiday, so would love some advice on possible destinations. Have not been abroad for 3 years ,( due to health, covid etc) , and have had a few milestone family birthday s so want to treat ourselves. Have been looking at Sugar Beach in St Lucia and also Maldives but going round in circles! It's for myself, dh and 4 teenage/adult kids ,( ages 16 - 21,) so would like villa type property on 5 star resort , with watersports, spa and good food,! Have any of you got any recommendations?? We are tied to school/college holidays so has to be July - August.

I think the Galápagos Islands are wonderful. We went at Easter. You can go in the summer but it might be choppy on the water. The Caribbean at Easter is better too. I quite like smaller islands and villas. Hire a car and get out to different beaches and see a bit of Caribbean life.

Groovytiger
Sorry to hijack....

We're considering the Maldives. Our DCs are 14 and 16.
When you say there's lots to do at Ayada, what exactly is there?
The DCs love snorkelling but I can't imagine they would want to do that ALL day!

@AnSionnachGlic we've been to Sugar Beach with two teens and highly recommend it. It was a very extravagant trip but the AI is very inclusive, we all dived every day and the food really good.
The only downside was the transfer from the airport, the roads are very windy.
We've also taken villas on Grenada and Bequia which were also successful. With a healthy budget you could have a knockout villa on the beach with staff.

@BaconAndAvocado depends on the island! The bigger islands offer more activities incl football, tennis, pools, jet skis, diving, boat trips to other reefs, manta ray snorkelling, deep sea fishing, kayaking, lots of entertainment in the evenings with bands, Djs, film nights.
If you have a good house reef you can spend hours a day snorkelling without being bored.

Thanks AdriannaP
Yes I think the larger island sounds like a better bet.
And a house reef.
Do you know of a reputable travel agency that I could speak to?

@BaconAndAvocado maybe try Kuoni?
I would consider Kuramathi - very big island with fantastic house reef. They have beautiful 2 bedroom villas right on the beach (and close to house reef) and close to a swimming pool with evening entertainment.

@BaconAndAvocado we found that Purely Maldives came in much cheaper than Kuoni and had loads of options of resorts to choose from

Groovytiger Does Purely Maldives organise flights too?

AdriannaP thank you.
Yes this island keeps coming up in my search!!
Just need to look at prices now 😬😬

What about Mauritius? Maldives might be a bit boring for teens… I think Mauritius might have more on offer and has great hotels.

@BaconAndAvocado they organise everything. I found them recommended on here and they were absolutely brilliant. Really know their stuff.

Thanks Groovytiger 🙂

In July/august I would say your best options weather wise are

Mediterranean
Some parts of Thailand (but not the west coast)
Indonesia/Singapore - there are some very lux resorts on small islands in this region which might work for you
Seychelles possibly

I wouldn’t go to the Maldives or the Caribbean (except maybe Aruba), there’s just too much chance of grey skies and rain. Mauritius is colder in July/Aug

Are you looking at one week or two? If just one, I would recommend staying in Europe as the flight time and cost would be disproportionate if you go long haul. There are some really lovely hotels in Greece for example, look at the Ikos resorts or Domes of Elounda or Daios Cove.

You’ve gotten a lot of great recommendations here but if you have enough time have you considered Hawaii? It is really a special place to visit and with active teens and young adults there is so much to do. Personally I would go to Maui and the Big Island. Maui is gorgeous and lush and you can lie on the beach like the Caribbean/Maldives/Bali but there are lots of other things to do as well. The road to Hana is touristy but worth it, likewise the Old Lahaina Luau (do that luau not a hotel one). You should get up one morning for sunrise at Haleakala and if you have a death wish feel adventurous you can bike down. Maui also has great restaurants and countless spectacular trails and beaches. But the Big Island is my favorite because it is different from anywhere I’ve ever been. It is situated on two active volcanoes and looks in some places almost like a lunar landscape. You can drive or hike around to some amazing volcanic formations but the best way to see the volcanoes in action is by helicopter. It is really unforgettable. There are black sand beaches, green sand beaches, fab snorkeling and golf courses. If you rent a jeep you can drive or hike down into the Waipio Valley where there is a beautiful waterfall and black beach and gentle wild horses that come right up to you.

Hawaii is culturally fascinating while at the same time of course part of the USA. It is safe and easy to explore, with good infrastructure, food, phone service and medical care. You do need to rent a car but the roads are generally wide, smooth and well-marked. There are lots of tourists of course but it’s not overrun and there are plenty of places where uou will barely see anybody. Many of the best things to do are free but supermarkets, shops, restaurants and hotels tend to be very expensive. I’ve always stayed in hotels but I know there are plenty of homes available to rent. I don’t know your definition of “blowout” but the Four Seasons on the Big Island is one of my favorite hotels ever and they have rental villas available that also give you access to the resort facilities.

I swear I don’t work for the Hawaii tourist board! But I did work in the travel industry for a long time and I have visited many of the places recommended here.

minipie
It will probably be 2 weeks in the summer holidays although it will be DS2's GCSE results so will have to look at dates.

Just googled weather in the Maldives....sounds a bit like Florida in August, lots of sun with a few short, sharp showers.

We don't mind this.

I think Easter won't be an option as the DCs are in Years 9 and 10 so lots of mocks, GCSEs then A levels to think about.

@BaconAndAvocado we went from 25 July- 12 August and had sun every day. We had been to Mauritius (East which is meant to be better weather) and Antigua at similar times of the year and the weather in both destinations was nowhere near as good. We have been to two Ikos resorts and whilst they are lovely the clientele is 90% British. We found that 5 star service and accommodation in The Maldives and Asia is far superior to 5 star service and accommodation in Europe. We love travelling and our holiday to the Maldives was one that our teens and us will probably always regard as one of our best ever holidays.

The Maldives could be great weather in July/Aug but it could also not be. The most likely outcome is that you would get a handful of days of on/off rain out of 2 weeks, and the rest sunny with an evening shower. Some people have had 2 clear weeks. Some people have had a week or more of constant rain. Bear in mind there is really very little to do there when it rains.

The question is, do you want the Maldives enough to risk it?

Personally I wouldn’t, given almost guaranteed perfect weather much closer to home at that time. ( I bloody love the Maldives. But would save it for a winter trip.) But if the Maldives is on your bucket list and this is your one chance to go then yes it may be worth the risk.